A Little Less Material
by SunshineDaisiesWindmills
Summary: He did not wish her a happy birthday, and when she stared him down until he made eye contact with her, he only flashed her a small smile and turned away. This was proving to be the worst birthday ever.


**AN: I bring you another unedited one shot! Nothing too fancy, just a little something for Lily's birthday. Enjoy! **

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><p>Lily awoke on her final birthday at Hogwarts just as she had every other day. Her alarm sounded promptly at seven o'clock, and just as she had on every other birthday, she popped up grinning. She was the first one awake, of course, so she pranced off to the bathroom and showered while her roommates rose. By the time she had cleansed herself, did her hair, applied her makeup, and dressed, her roommates were awake, and just as there had been every other year on her birthday, a small pile of presents sat on the foot of her bed.<p>

She skipped back to her bed, and began tearing into them. There was a bag of sweets, an interesting bottle of nail varnish, and a cute pair of earrings from her roommates; a new dress from her mother, a small collection of new music from her father, and a rather large book she'd had her eye on in Hogsmeade from some of her newest friends: Remus, Sirius, and Peter. She finished opening them, frowned, and began digging around in the paper. She had to be missing one. He couldn't have forgotten? He'd _never_ forgotten, not in seven years.

"What did you get from James?" Susannah Finch, owner of the bed next to Lily's asked, "Something amazing, probably."

"Nothing," Lily responded, failing to mask her disappointment.

"Really?" Susannah was just as confused as Lily, "He's given you a present every single year, even when you hated him and would send them back, completely destroyed. You're _friends_ now, and he just _forgets?" _

"I guess," Lily shrugged, "Maybe he doesn't care as much anymore."

"No," she rebutted, "no. This is _James Potter _we're talking about. He's probably planning some grand and public gesture. Just wait it out."

Lily smiled, that did indeed sound like something James would do. Maybe she was overreacting. There was no way James forgot her birthday! She was sure that she would walk down into breakfast and there would be fireworks, or there'd be flowers waiting for her in class, or maybe one in each class, or something equally as grand. Yes, yes definitely. She was sure of it, so she smiled as she walked to breakfast, and grinned as people wished her a happy birthday.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. She walked into the great hall to an unfortunately empty ceiling charmed sky. There were no flowers waiting on any of her classroom desks. In fact, James seemed to ignore her completely. He did not wish her a happy birthday, and when she stared him down until he made eye contact with her, he only flashed her a small smile and turned away. This was proving to be the worst birthday ever.

After dinner, and still no contact from James, Lily's roommates threw her a small party with a few of the younger Gryffindors. They ate sweets and drank butterbeer, and Lily smiled and laughed; the group had a merry time. It did not go unnoticed that James was not in attendance. After a few hours, the party had died down, and most people made there way to bed. Lily sat, finally alone, on a sofa facing the fireplace.

"Still nothing?" Susannah sat next to her.

"Nothing," Lily shook her head sadly, "Is it pathetic that I'm upset about it?"

"No, maybe a little greedy, but it _is_ your birthday."

Lily chuckled, "I don't need a _present_, I would've been happy with a-" she stopped herself, "with a little attention, you know? He didn't even speak to me!"

Susannah shook her head, "That's cold."

"And I really thought we were going somewhere too. I thought today might-"

"You were hoping for a gift that was a little more," Susannah wiggled her eyebrows, "_physical_ than one might expect?"

Lily blushed, "Something like that."

"Well," Susannah leaned over and gave her friend a hug, "Don't give up just yet, okay?" Lily smiled. "I'm headed to bed, you coming?"

"Nah," Lily responded, "I think I'll stay down here a bit," she gestured to the book she had received earlier, "Read for a while."

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then, happy birthday, Lily."

"Good night, Susannah."

Lily had barely cracked her book open when she was joined again, "Hullo, Lily."

She looked up and saw the boy who had eluded her all day, "Hello, James," she smiled at him, despite a resolution to display her annoyance with him.

"Mind if I…" he gestured to the seat next to her.

"By all means," she nodded.

He sat down beside her and kicked out his feet, "How was your day today?"

"Pretty good," she shrugged, "Could've been better…"

"Unfortunate."

"Especially considering what day it is."

He turned toward her, eyebrows raised, "And what day would that be? Friday?"

"_No,_" she scolded.

"The second to the last day of January?"

She shook her head.

"Hmmmmm," he scratched his chin, "What day could it be that would make Lily so upset…"

Her eyes narrowed.

"Could it- no, it couldn't be your _birthday_, now could it?"

She hit him playfully and cracked a smile.

"So you're saying it _is_ your birthday?"

"You know damn well that it is."

"Well that's extremely convenient," he reached back into his pocked, "because I've been carrying around this birthday present all day, and I was a little afraid I'd have no one to give it to," he pulled out a small square box, wrapped in red paper with a gold ribbon.

He offered it to her, and she opened it embarrassingly fast. She removed the lid, and found a small charm bracelet, with two small charms: a doe and a stag. She smiled and turned to him, "Thank you. It's lovely."

James frowned, "Not quite what you were expecting?"

"I love it," she smiled, "but not quite."

"Ahhh," he nodded, "you were expecting a party or some sort of spectacle,"

"Something like that."

He furrowed his brows together, "Not exactly a fitting gesture for friends."

"No," the smile had not left her lips, "No it's not."

James' eyebrows went from furrowed between his eyes, to raised in the middle of his forehead.

"But you know," Lily continued, "I didn't need a spectacle, not that I would've been upset about one," she shrugged.

James smiled, "Well what _were_ you expecting, then?"

Lily shrugged playfully, "Something a little less _material…_"

"Well," he was obviously playing along now, "what on _Earth_ do you mean by that?"

She smiled slyly and leaned in a little closer, "I could show you," she whispered.

"I think you should," his voice was suddenly gruff, all playfulness lost.

Their noses brushed against each other, and James reached up to cup her face with his hand. Lily's eyes fluttered shut, and parted her lips slightly. There was an explosion of butterflies in her stomach. Then far before she had expected it, but after far too long, their lips touched, softly, sweetly. An instant of bliss, and then they were apart again.

James regained his exposure first, "Something like that, eh?"

"Something like that, yeah."

He pulled away and looked at her skeptically, "Are you sure it isn't _my _birthday?"

"Pretty sure," she nodded.

"Are you sure you want something like that?"

"Pretty sure."

"I can do that."

She grinned, "Good," she gestured to the small box on her lap, "But I'm keeping this too."

He let out a deep belly laugh before leaning in and kissing her again. After a while, he broke away, and breathless, whispered, "Happy birthday, Lily."

"Thank you, James," she responded before kissing him one more time.

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><p><strong>AN: Please remember to leave a review! :)<strong>


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